Brazil to Issue Deeds to Thousands of Landowners in the Amazon Basin

Brazilians have long feared that foreigners were exploiting great expanses of the Amazon River Basin, a story we covered earlier this year when the Brazilian government began to investigate unlawful land sales to overseas interests. Now the country has established a program to ascertain ownership of farms of all sizes and streamline the process by which landowners can get deeds to their property. The root cause of this initiative? Less than 4 percent of privately owned land in the Amazon is actually deeded. Read more

Colorado’s Hunt Ranch Back on Market for $30,000 Per Acre / $17 Million

In a surprising turn of events that is the norm in real estate development, the investment group that paid $8 million for an historic cattle ranch downvalley from Aspen was denied crucial development rights by Garfield County. Hunt Ranch LLC had applied to develop 93 homesites on the 561-acre working ranch while preserving a 230-acre pasture. The county’s planning and zoning commission recommended approval of the plan, but in a 2-1 vote in October the Garfield County Commissioners denied it. The property has subsequently been listed for $17 million ($30,000 per acre).

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Tom Barrack Takes Control of Neverland

Earlier this month, AP reported a development that every real estate professional in Santa Barbara County fully anticipated: Neverland no longer belongs to Michael Jackson. The new owner of the 2,500-acre trophy property? That was even less of a surprise: Sycamore Valley Ranch Co., an affiliate of Tom Barrack’s Colony Capital. Read more

Behind the Woodshed: Jeff Hawn

The Land Report prides itself on singling out landowners who make a difference, inspire others, and establish a legacy. This will not be one of those instances. The name Jeff Hawn will never be included under the category Good Neighbor. Instead, it has already been listed in Colorado under a much different heading: felon. Read more

Sold! Montana’s 6,462-acre Scott Ranch

A lot of noteworthy closings taking place in and around Yellowstone County, Montana. Last week we reported on the sale of the 15,800-acre Bar Diamond Ranch. This time around it’s the 6,462-acre Scott Ranch on the Crow Reservation southeast of Billings, which James Stinehagen of the Flying S Cattle Co. purchased for $387 per acre, according to the Billings Gazette. Read more

Federal Reserve Bullish on Great Plains

Farmland in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, and parts of New Mexico jumped 20 percent in the third quarter of 2008, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City this week. Here are some of the reasons why. Read more

Sold! Montana’s 15,800-acre Bar Diamond Ranch

There seems to be no sign of an economic fallout in Montana’s still strong recreational land market. That’s the takeaway from the Billings Gazette, which reports that the 15,800-acre Bar Diamond Ranch has closed. Read more

Slowdown Forecast for Texas Land

Ag economists at Texas A&M are predicting that the red-hot Texas land market will lose its sizzle next year. Since 2003, land prices have increased an average of 14.5 percent annually, and with the median price statewide approximately $2,300 per acre, that means the average price would jump to $4,600 per acre by 2013. According to the Aggies, that’s not going to happen. Here’s why: Read more

Steamboat Springs Preservation Ranch Takes the Gold

It always amazes me when someone takes the time to go above and beyond the call of duty to improve an already one-of-a-kind piece of property. The idea is to take some great place and make it even more over the top. That is definitely the case at Marabou, a Colorado ranch preservation community just outside Steamboat Springs that was recently honored at the Pacific Coast Builders Conference. Read more

Amendment 4 Would Cut Property Taxes for Florida Landowners

If you’re a registered voter in Florida and a landowner as well, there is an important amendment on this November’s ballot you need to be aware of. Amendment 4 could significantly reduce your tax liability, provided you set aside your land for conservation purposes. Read more

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